Dispensing refrigerator for bottled goods



July 13 1926. 1,592,689

C. A. WILSON DISPENSING REFRIGERATOR FOR BOTTLED GOODS Filed Oct. 28, 1924 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 13 1926.

C. A. WILSON DISPENSING REFRIGERATOR FOR BOTTLED GOODS Filed oct. 28, 1924 2 sheets-Sheet 2 rrr Il invul to@ lkozmuj 'Patented vJuly 13, i 1926.

UNlTEDl STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DISPENSING nnrnmnnaron Eon BOTTLED Goons.

Application inea october as, 11124. seriai No. 746,381.

vThe object of the invention is to provide, in a device f the above mentioned character, a structure of compartmental form, adapted for the reception of bottled goods, such as soft drinks, so that they may be dispensed directly to the customers by providing ready access to the various compartmentsbearii'ig indicia corresponding tothe contents thereof; to provide mea-ns for cooling the contents through the medium of icegd Water in which the bottles are continually submerged; to provide means for maintaining a uniform level in the various compartments; and to provide an ice container ata higher level than the compartments, so that the ice may be periodically crushed to drop into the water contained in the compartments, together with the water resulting from the meltl of the ice.

With these objects in view, the invention consists in a constructidn and combination o f parts of which a. preferred embodiment is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the iniilglin'e i 1 I e isa top an view.

Eig-ure 3' is a sectibnal view on lthe line 3 3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional view on the lin 4-4 of Figure 2.

The casing 1, which contains a tray 2 for the reception of the contents, is preferably of lwood construction supported on the legs 3 to place the casing atK a convenient level for access to the interior through the closures .4 mounted by means of spring hinges 5 and arranged in series on opposite sides of anice contained casing 6 surmounting the casing 1., u The tray 2` has its side and bottom walls preferably spaced from the corresponding walls of the casing 1, being supported in the,

latterY by meansA of longitudinalspacing 4 elements 7 which are preferably of, wood,

-the tray 2 being prererably` of metal. .The

tray 2 is divided transversely and longitudinally. by partitionV members 8' which divide lthe tray into compartments 9 corresponding in dimensions to the dimensions of the conventional 24bottle crate so that as kthe goods are removed fromthe crate and /placed in the device, each compartment 9 will ho1d\the amount of one crate, or two crates iftdsdesiredto make the tray of such dimensions that each compartment 9 will accommodate two crates.

The closures 4 are disposed directly abov each 'compartment 9 and are provided with grab handles 10, and on opposite sides of the grab handles bear the indicia 11 corresponding to the contents of the compartmentsso that on raising the closure, the goods corresponding to the indicated name on the closure may be found on the corresponding side of the compartment. Y

The tray 2, being of meta-l, is adapted for the reception of water, the temperature of which has been reduced by a suitable tempering agent which, in the present embodiment of the invention, is ice contained in the Iice compartment 6 which is also metal lined, said lining constituting the walls of a container 12 which is accessible for the purpose of charging the compartment through a door 14 at one end.

The bottom of the metal container consists of the longitudinally extending strips 15 which constitute the supports for the ice and as the latter melts, the water therefrom may drop into the tray 2 and when charging the ice compartment, the small pieces of ice that may be left from a previous charging may be crushed with anice pick and dropped between the strips or slats 14 into the water in the tray, thus reducing the 'temperature Vof the latter, thereby providing for the emptying of the ice compartment of all of the old contents when recharging, so that there may be no obstruction in the placing of new blocksor cakes of ice.

In order to maintain the level of the water in the tray 2, an overiiow pipe 16 communicates with the interiorof the tray at an intermediate point, as indicated at' 17, and discharges into a waste pipe 18 with which is also connected al drain pipe 19 communicating with the tray 2 at 'the bottomand normally closed interior to the latter by a removable cap 20. Whenit is desired to clean the tray, the cap 20 is removed and all .the water contained therein will readily-How oi through the drain andthe waste pipe 19, the compartments 9 inter-communicating below the partitions 8 since the latter are slightly raised above the bottom of the tray' to provide for the ready low ofthe water from one compartment to another in reachin the level defined by the overiiow 17.

ince the ice o'r refrigerating or tempering agent is contained in the compartment 6, which is above the level of the compartments containing the goods to be dispensed, and since the latter are confined to separate compartments accessible to an individual closure, the removal of a particular kind of goodsnecessit-ates the opening only of one ot the closures 4 and thus the ingress of the warm air outside is limited in amount, thus reducing to a minilnum the meltingr et'- fect or' the contents ot' the compartment 6.

Since each closure 4 bears indicia correspending to the contents ot' its particular compartment,the customer may readily7 locate the compartment in which the desired drink` is contained` open the closure/and remove the bottle or number of bottles desired andthe closures being mounted on springactuated hinges, they are immediately returned to closed position` thus precluding their being inadvertently left open.

In replenishing -any compartment` it is only necessary to place the crate of bottled goods on top ot the casing l beside the compartment being replenished, open the closure of the. latter and place in the conuimrtment from the crate the number of bottles corresponding to those which have been removed.

The invention having been described, what is claimed as new and useful is:

A dispensing refrigerator for bottled goods, comprising a horizontal case and a horizontal contained tray having its bottom and side Walls spaced from the correspond` ing Walls of the case, an ice compartment extending the Width of the case and positioned intermediately transversely of the case above the tray and having its Walls spaced from corresponding walls of the case, the spaces surrounding the tray and the ice compartment being in communication, the tray being longitudinally and transversely d1- vided by partition members delining cornpartmentsk and thev case having spring mounted closure members arranged in series on opposite sides of the ice compartment to provide access t9 the compartments from either side of the ice compartment which `is in communication Withthe tray, strips extending transversely of the case above the level of the top of the tray and defining the bottom of the ice compartment, an overflow pipe connected to one Wall of the tray, a drain pipe connected to the bottom of the tray and having a lateral connection with the overflow pipe.

In testimony whereof he afiixes his signature.

CHARLES A.. WILSON. 

